UMNO was never for Kamarazaman Yaakob, who said that even his brother, Ismail Sabri could see that. 

Kamarazaman, who is the prime minister’s older brother, is the pro-tem president of Parti Kuasa Rakyat.

He said he was an Umno member from 1995 to 2001, adding that the party was feudal and did not take well to his left-leaning ideologies.

As an advocate of marhaenism, a form of Marxist socialism developed in Indonesia, Kamarazaman said he knew that he did not fit in Umno.

“My brother (Ismail) himself told me when I joined Umno that I’ve joined the wrong party,” Kamarazaman told The Malaysian Insight in an exclusive interview.

“Umno is a feudal party. He (Ismail) knew I was always vocal, progressive. So Umno was not a suitable platform for me,” Kamarazaman said.

Kamarazaman, an activist who was detained under the Internal Security Act in the 1970s, launched the multiracial Kuasa Rakyat on October 10.

He said Ismail supported his decision to start the party.

He said he had informed Ismail in 2018 of his intention to found a party to fight for the poor.

Ismail was at the time the opposition leader. Barisan Nasional had just suffered a shocking defeat to Pakatan Harapan in the general election held the same year.

“When he was the opposition leader, I told him I want to form a multiracial party to uphold the struggle of marhaenism.

“He told me it was the right decision… it was close to my heart and something I had struggled for over the past 50 years. I formed the party and made it BN-friendly,” he said.

Kamarazaman said he did not form the party to fight his brother, as perceived by some Umno members.

He said Ismail had never discouraged him from his purpose.

“He knew why I was forming the party; he has been encouraging from the start. So his reaction was not negative.

“He said it’s normal in our family for its members to be in ‘this and that’ party.

“I think the comment itself has been interpreted by politicians that he has no objections to me forming a political party.

“Maybe the Umno (members) who do not know the truth, they interpret my forming the party (as a move) to oppose Umno and the position of the prime minister.

“Perhaps Umno sees us as a threat but we are a multiracial party. They should not see us as a threat.”

Invitations declined

Kamarazaman said he had approached several opposition and government lawmakers to join him in Kuasa Rakyat.

He said he invited PKR’s Tian Chua, Sungai Buloh MP Sivarasa Rasiah, Petaling MP Maria Chin Abdullah, Julau MP Larry Sng, and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin.

They all said no, said Kamarazaman.

“I had some friends who shared my mindset and aspirations, such as Tian Chua, Sivarasa and Maria, but they were not ready.

Kamarazaman said he had also invited Sng but the former Sarawak PKR chairman had other plans.

“I told Larry my intention to form a party but he was committed to joining Zuraida in the Sarawak Workers Party and turning it into Parti Bangsa Malaysia and making the party national.

“Eventually I found friends who accepted my ideas and we formed Kuasa Rakyat.” – December 26, 2021.